According to a recent article in the news, 1 out of every 10 Canadians will
suffer a major episode of depression during his or her life. At the same time,
an English daily reported an increase in the incidence of depression in Canadian
universities.
The World Health Organization foresees depression becoming the second most
significant cause of illness by 2030.
A growing number of studies are establishing a link between depression and
materialism. Researchers have revealed that a strong attachment to material
goods, to the exclusion of intellectual and spiritual values, plays a major role
in increasing depressive states.
John Abela, Associate Professor of Psychology at McGill University, and his team
of student researchers conducted a study of approximately 1,000 students in
Montreal and Shanghai. They discovered that the rapid cultural change in China
and the development of materialism had increased the incidence of depression.
Materialism, which bases everything on financial success, physical appearance
and social recognition, appears to lead to higher rates of depressive symptoms.
“Materialists have a very fragile sense of themselves because their value
depends on obtaining things that are outside of themselves. The quality of their
interpersonal relations suffers, and they feel more stress when they are working
to achieve extrinsic goals,” indicates Professor Abela.
British clinical psychologist Oliver James sounds the same alarm in his book The
Selfish Capitalist. According to James, the increase in materialism in our
society is largely responsible for a whole series of mental illnesses such as
depression.
Unattainable aspirations for material wealth, to the detriment of family and
friends, create frustration and sadness.
All traditions of wisdom throughout history have indicated that happiness is not
to possess more, but to know our own potential as a living being and to increase
this potential and share it with others. This is how we realize our human
nature.
Materialism is an illness for the human being and humanity.
